Hyderabad: Gold weighing over 6kg, valued at Rs 2.17 crore were seized from 14 passengers who arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport from a Gulf nation after performing Umrah, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Wednesday (July 3).

According to a DRI release, the gold was smuggled into the country on Tuesday (July 2) by concealing "on a person", and the accused did not have any documents to prove the legal import of the yellow metal.

The total weight of the foreign gold recovered and seized under the Customs Act, 1962, is 6.46 kg worth around Rs 2.17 crore, it said.

Officials stated that agents who sponsored their trip, lured the economically disadvantaged people who wanted to perform Umrah (pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia into committing the act.